“Doin’ Time”

Lana Del Rey’s affinity for California is so firmly baked into her music that “Doin’ Time,” her cover of Sublime’s 1996 song for the upcoming documentary about the ska-punk band, seems like it could have appeared on her debut. Adapting Bradley Nowell’s expressive rapping into her own blasé drawl, the track glides on roiling trip-hop percussion similar to the bossa nova version of Gershwin’s “Summertime” sampled in Sublime’s original. But “Doin’ Time” remains decidedly within Del Rey’s wheelhouse, repping Sublime’s hometown of Long Beach with a newly dreamy slant.

Coming on the heels of Del Rey’s recent clear-eyed singles, “Doin’ Time” feels especially lightweight, a return to the well-established beachside flavor of “High by the Beach” or her 2012 Paradise EP. But Del Rey includes her own unique touch: On the song’s bridge, her voice rises to an airy, youthful tone backed by reedy ad-libs, transmuting Nowell’s “evil woman” tirade into a gender-flipped interpretation that adds a layer of complexity to a song that decidedly has very little. Del Rey’s hazy version of “Doin’ Time” will most likely remain a small treat in her discography, perfect for soundtracking barbecues all summer, but its low calorie count shouldn’t dissuade you from enjoying the song’s simple pleasures.